Friendship Boats??????

[tiawolfe]

What's the deal with the friendship boats? My family always uses the bus system, but this looks interesting!

Where can you get on and off?
Is it faster/slower than the bus system?
Even if it is slower, is it a nice ride (scenery, doing something different, etc.)?

Thanks!

 

[mesaboy2]

What's the deal with the friendship boats? My family always uses the bus system, but this looks interesting!

Where can you get on and off?
Is it faster/slower than the bus system?
Even if it is slower, is it a nice ride (scenery, doing something different, etc.)?

Thanks!

The friendship boats run only within Epcot or between Epcot and DHS with the Epcot resort area in between. The Epcot/DHS run is very relaxing and a nice way to rest feet between those two parks if you're hopping.

Cue the map.

Buses generally handle all other park-to-park or park-to-resort transportation.

 

[Robo]

1- Where can you get on and off?

2- Is it faster/slower than the bus system?

3- Even if it is slower, is it a nice ride (scenery, doing something different, etc.)?

1- DHS gates, Epcot Resorts, Epcot's International Gateway

1- Epcot's World Showcase- A, B, C, D Below-

1- Also a different fleet of boats runs between Magic Kingdom and Ft' Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge.
Other boats run between MK and Grand Floridian and the Poly.

Also, a different fleet of boats runs between the DTD area resorts and DTD.

2- Many of the boats go to different areas than the buses.
Of the boats which do parallel the bus routes, buses are generally faster.

3- Yes.

 

[mjp12831]

As endorsed above, they are a very nice way to travel, but a few things to note:

Not a good way to travel if there are thunderstorms in the area - they will stop the boats and they won't resume until the storm is over (can be a big delay), and its not a great feeling to be out on the canal with lightning striking around.

Also, much more than the bus, you need to be lucky and time these out right - not the way to go if you want to hop from HS to E in a hurry. If you miss a departure it can be a while until the next one, and they have a relatively small capacity so if you find yourself in a line you may not get on the next boat (if hopping at E park closing to HS for pmemh for example).

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

As endorsed above, they are a very nice way to travel, but a few things to note:

Not a good way to travel if there are thunderstorms in the area - they will stop the boats and they won't resume until the storm is over (can be a big delay), and its not a great feeling to be out on the canal with lightning striking around.
Also, much more than the bus, you need to be lucky and time these out right - not the way to go if you want to hop from HS to E in a hurry. If you miss a departure it can be a while until the next one, and they have a relatively small capacity so if you find yourself in a line you may not get on the next boat (if hopping at E park closing to HS for pmemh for example).

was that experience recent? we were there late may into early June and took one of the boats from BWI to Epcot for lunch at Le Cellier in the middle of a thunderstorm downpour but the boat didn't stop.

 

[jrtoastyman]

It's a nice, leisurely way to get from one place to another and take a load off, but it's not really a time saver.

 

[umichigan10]

was that experience recent? we were there late may into early June and took one of the boats from BWI to Epcot for lunch at Le Cellier in the middle of a thunderstorm downpour but the boat didn't stop.

Its like last August from my room at BLT I watched as they stopped the smaller boats when thunder and lightening was heard/seen but kept the larger shuttle boats between FW/WL and mk going. Kinda weird

 

[Maggie'sMom]

was that experience recent? we were there late may into early June and took one of the boats from BWI to Epcot for lunch at Le Cellier in the middle of a thunderstorm downpour but the boat didn't stop.

On Memorial Day, we were taking the boats from POFQ to DTD and a storm hit when we were about 1/2 way there. Sideways rain, lightning. They told us they were stopping the boats as soon as we got to DTD. Let me tell you that was not a fun trip. Even though those boats are covered, the sides are open and we got soaked. Soaked as in my underwear was glued to my butt for hours afterward soaked.

 

[MouseEarsForAll]

Ooh, water falling from above, and water underneath you, plus hot light flashing down...

 

[umichigan10]

On Memorial Day, we were taking the boats from POFQ to DTD and a storm hit when we were about 1/2 way there. Sideways rain, lightning. They told us they were stopping the boats as soon as we got to DTD. Let me tell you that was not a fun trip. Even though those boats are covered, the sides are open and we got soaked. Soaked as in my underwear was glued to my butt for hours afterward soaked.

Sounds like you could've made a sequel to gilligans island

 

[figment_jii]

My family likes to ride the boats when hopping between Epcot and DHS and in evenings when heading back to our resort (our poor feet want the break)!

It takes about 35 minutes to get from Epcot to DHS.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Ooh, water falling from above, and water underneath you, plus hot light flashing down...

Yep, there's nothing like being on a metal boat in the middle of water with lightning flashing all around to make a Disney trip memorable.

Sounds like you could've made a sequel to gilligans island

Great! Now I have that theme song stuck in my head. "A three hour tour... A three hour tour." Except ours was only about 15 minutes.

 

[Jozymouse]

Hi!

We were staying at the Dolphin in May and the boat was great to go to HS since thats your next stop! It took us 7 minutes from the hotel to the entrance of HS and it was great! Coming back, we were the first stop so it was really perfect. We were lucky and never waited for a boat more than 5 minutes!!!!

 

[MouseEarsForAll]

Yep, there's nothing like being on a metal boat in the middle of water with lightning flashing all around to make a Disney trip memorable.

Yep, and to remind everyone about that experience, just say, "You smell crispy...".

 

[mjp12831]

was that experience recent? we were there late may into early June and took one of the boats from BWI to Epcot for lunch at Le Cellier in the middle of a thunderstorm downpour but the boat didn't stop.

Last summer.

I'd bet it has more to do with lightning strikes in the area as compared to just thunderstorms, so maybe my original post was a little misleading, but after the experience I wouldn't get on one of them unless I saw blue skies. My kids were terrified.

 

[mlittig]

The friendship boats are a nice, relaxing alternative to the busses but I do wish they were air conditioned and a bit cooler

 

[hakepb]

The friendship boats are a nice, relaxing alternative to the busses but I do wish they were air conditioned and a bit cooler

?
I always thought the friendship boats were enclosed and air conditioned, although I usually prefer sitting on the open air bench on the back. I'm guessing their system has a hard time recovering after open doors at frequent stops.

There are other types of open air boats at WDW but they are not called Friendship boats. A pp mentioned getting wet going from POR to DTD, that was not a friendship boat.

http://allears.net/pl/transveh.htm

 

[North of Mouse]

It's a nice, leisurely way to get from one place to another and take a load off, but it's not really a time saver.

From Epcot to the area hotels there, it is definitely NOT a time saver. It's a very short nice walk to the hotels and beats the boat for time and the experience. You see the same things walking, and much nicer - to us even on a hot day, because the boats can be hot too